8minute Solar Energy, NV Energy and the Moapa Band of Paiutes today announced that 8minute has been chosen by NV Energy to develop a solar plus storage project in Nevada. The Southern Bighorn Solar & Storage Center will include a 475MW-dc (300 MW-ac) solar array with 540 MWh of Li-Ion battery energy storage and will be built in Clark County on the Moapa River Indian Reservation about 30 miles north of Las Vegas. Southern Bighorn's power will be fully dispatchable; able to provide power throughout the day and evening peak times.
"We're proud to be working with NV Energy and the Moapa Band of Paiutes on this innovative project to deliver low-cost dispatchable clean power for Nevada's residents and businesses. This is our second project working with them both, and together we've been able to deliver fantastic value once again. Southern Bighorn will deliver clean power at an average price (including Time of Delivery Adjustments) of about $35 per MWh, which is below the cost of fossil fuel based generation. For a solar PV plant, incorporating a 540MWh Li-Ion battery system, this is truly industry leading," said Tom Buttgenbach, President and CEO, 8minute Solar Energy. "Nevada is becoming a solar leader and, with 900 megawatts of solar projects, 8minute is proud to be the state's number one solar provider."
"We are delighted to be working with 8minute again to bring low-cost clean solar power and energy storage to our customers in Nevada," said Doug Cannon, President and CEO of NV Energy. "We're committed to solar and clean energy that reduces costs for our customers. The Southern Bighorn Solar Plus Storage Center helps us to continue to reduce carbon emissions, to diversify our state's electricity generation portfolio and do so at industry-leading low costs."
Subject to final approval by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, the project will commence construction in mid-2022, and be operational by the end of 2023. Southern Big Horn Solar Center will have an annual production capacity of over 1 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) once complete, enough energy for more than 180,000 homes—more than 455,000 people--when producing, and will also reduce carbon emissions by more than 600,000 metric tons each year. During the most valuable summer peaking hours, 8minute has engineered the combined solar + storage facility to produce at a capacity factor of more than 65%. The project's development and construction is also expected to create well over 600 jobs on the Moapa Indian River Reservation within Clark County.
